‘They want Manusmriti, not the Constitution’: Rahul Gandhi after RSS’s Preamble remark

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a strong political attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Friday, stating that the organisation seeks to replace India’s Constitution with Manusmriti — an ancient Hindu legal text known for its caste-based and patriarchal code.

Gandhi’s remarks followed a statement by RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, who questioned whether the words “socialist” and “secular” — which were added to the Preamble of the Constitution during the Emergency in 1976 — should continue to remain. Speaking at an event on the Emergency, Hosabale said, “The Preamble to the Constitution Baba Saheb Ambedkar made never had these words... whether these words should remain in the Preamble should be considered.”

In response, Gandhi posted in Hindi on X (formerly Twitter):

"The mask of RSS has come off again. The Constitution irks them because it speaks of equality, secularism, and justice. The RSS and BJP do not want the Constitution, they want Manusmriti. Their aim is to strip the marginalised and poor of their rights and enslave them again."

He further asserted: "The RSS should stop dreaming this dream—we will never let it succeed. Every patriotic Indian will defend the Constitution until their last breath."

The RSS general secretary also argued that the words in question were introduced during a time when fundamental rights were suspended, and democratic institutions such as Parliament and the judiciary were weakened. “Are the thoughts of socialism as an ideology eternal for India?” he asked.

The original Preamble, adopted in 1950, did not include the terms “socialist” and “secular”. These were inserted via the 42nd Constitutional Amendment during Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s Emergency rule in 1976. While critics of the amendment have long argued it was politically motivated, defenders say it was necessary to reaffirm India’s foundational values in a time of political instability.

Hosabale’s comments have reignited a long-standing ideological debate between the RSS and secularist political forces like the Congress Party, particularly over issues of religious freedom, equality, and caste-based discrimination.

Rahul Gandhi, now serving as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has repeatedly positioned himself as a defender of constitutional values and social justice, often invoking Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s legacy to contrast the Congress’s ideological stance against the RSS-BJP vision of India.

Political observers note that the renewed clash over the Constitution’s language comes at a time when India is undergoing intense political polarisation following the 2024 general elections.

So far, there has been no official response from the BJP to Gandhi’s statement, though party leaders in the past have maintained that their commitment to the Constitution remains “unwavering”.